Device for softening beards or face steamers



B. BECKER April 21, 1953 Filed Jan. 2, 1951 shaving.

Patented Apr. 21,1953

DEVICE Fort SOFTENING BEARDS on FACE JSTEAMERS Benjamin Becker, St. Louis, Mo. Application January 2, 1951, Serial No. 204,001

Y This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improyements in devices for softening beards or face 'steamers and, more particularly, tola beard-softening pad adapted to be saturated with warmjwater and held against the face to soften the beard'of a mans face preparatory to .It is, of course, well recognized by all men who shave regularlywith straight edge razors or safety razors that thejshaving operation is materially facilitatedby softening the beard preparatory to 3 Claims. (or. 28-380) Figure 4 is a plan view of the front side of th beard-softening pad; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

shaving. ,For generations, barbers have been applying hot towels to thefaces of their customers to soften the. beard, but this procedure is not quite so simple or convenient when practiced by men who shave themselves because the hot water from the towel runs down the shirt front and the arms of the userqand the hot water itself drains away very rapidly when a man, who i shaving himself, hasto lean over the wash basin and hold i a water-soaked towel against his beard. Hence the application of-a' hot towel to ones own beard is an inconvenient, messy, and generally unsatisfactory procedure.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a pad-like shavingaccessory which is simple and economical in construcor ill-smelling du to incomplete drying out.

With the above nd other objects in view, my

invention reside's in,1the novel features of form,

construction, arra gement, and combination of A designates a beard-softening pad comprisinga somewhat oblong fabric section I made of turkish toweling or other similar water-absorbent material having arcuately curved longitudinal margins 2, 3, and provided upon its outer face with an identically shaped section of canvas lining 4, which is, in turn, provided upon its outer face with a loosely fitted facing 5 of waterproof material, such as Vinylite plastic, Pliofilm, polyethylene, or the like, the latter being somewhat shorter in length than the former, so that its lateral margins 6, 6, terminate in inwardly spaced parallel relation to the lateral margins of the toweling and lining sections l, 4. The'margins 6, 6', of the facing 5 are turned under and hemmed around lengths of cording l, as shown in Figure 5, and cut slightly fuller in transverse length, so that they will bulge out slightly to permit free passage of air between the facing 5 and the lining 4 when the beard-softening pad A is hung up to dry as will be presently more fully pointed out. The entire unit is peripherally bound by a continuous section of binding tape 8 folded over and dry and will not become sour parts presently described and pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side lelevational view of a beardsoftening pad corl ructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention, illustrating the beard-softening padjas it is applied in actual use to the face;

Figure 2 is a rearelevational view of the beardsoftening pad; V I

Figure 3 is a 'in'ar sverse sectional view taken along line 3-4 of Figure 2;

secured by a continuous line of stitches 9 around all four margins. It is to be noted in this con-'- nection, however, that only the two longitudinal margins of the waterproof facing 5 are secured under the binding tape 0, the lateral margins 6, 6', being turned down and neatly hemmed by lines of stitches l0, II, respectively. Enclosed within the binding tape 8 and extending along the lower margin 3 is a length of pre-stretched elastic tape l2, which, after stretching and release, will draw the lower margin 3 into a series of gathers, producing an over-all cupping effect, as best seen in Figure 2 and for purposes presently more fully appearing.

In the unfaced space outwardly of the facing margins 6, '6, the toweling and lining sections l, 4, are perforated and provided with eyelets 13,

II, by which the beard-softening pad A may be hung up to dry between periods of use.

In use, the beard-softening pad A may be manually held by the user under a hot water faucet with hot water, so that the toweling section I will become thoroughly saturated. As the beard- -softening pad A is lifted out of the water, the

excess moisture on the outer face will drain out 5 will hold the heat in, so to speak, and will also. prevent hot water from being squeezed out ofthe when the pad' is held up around the face of the fabric and dropping down over the chest and,

arms of the user. Because the facing is fitted loosely, there will be a certain amount .oflfree' space or sagging between the. facing :5 and. the adjacent surface of the lining 4 whichwill act as a bag-like water-catching element into which will flow any excess water which is squeezed outward- ,ly from the pad as it is held against the cheeks.

To whatever extent this occurs, the liquid so accumulating will actually he held around the point of the chin where the whiskers are. usually tough,- est and thus the whiskers in this region of the chin will receive the best soaking inhot water and will be well softened for shaving purposes. After the pad has performed the desired function, it may be manually removed fromthe face and upended over the wash basin, so. that any water which has accumulatedbetween the racing 5 and the lining 4 can drain out by gravity. Thereupon, the device may be squeezed to remove as much retained water as possible and the beardsoftening pad canthen be hung up to dry on-any convenient hook or nail until the next time it is required for use. V It should be understood that changes and mod-ifications-in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the beard-softening pad may be made and substituted forthose herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my in vention. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent-is: 1. A beard-softening pad comprising an oblong section oiw water-absorbent material, a facing panel of water-impervious material substantially shorter than the oblong section and secured thereto along its longitudinal margins but being free along its transverse margins-and an elastic tape secured along one longitudinal margin and being initially stretched during :securement so as to hold said longitudinal margin in a series of gathers and thereby produce an expansible cupped region along the central portion of said margin.

2. A beard-softening pad comprising an oblong section of water-absorbent material, and a facing panel of water-impervious materialesubstantially shorter than the oblong section and secured ith'eretoalong its longitudinal margins but being atree a1ongits transverse margins, said facing panel being somewhat wider than the oblon sec- -'-tion so as to bulge outwardly therefrom in the provision .oiawater-catching bag-like element user for softening the beard preparatory to shavingl 1 2i.

V 3, A beard-softening pad comprising a substantially' oblong section of water-absorbent material, andai-acing panel of water-impervious material substantially shorter than the oblong section and secured theretoalong its longitudinalinargins in symmetrical relation to the oblong section with respect to its transverse ends so that the transyerse ends ofi'th'e'panel of water-impervious ma-- 'terial are spaced inwardly equidistantly. from the adjacent transverse lends or the oblong. section of water-absorbent material, said panel of water,- impervious materialiurther. being .free along its transverse, margins and. being isbmewhat .wider than thefoblong section of water-absorbent inaterial, sofas to bulge outwardly-therefrom. in the provision. or. a. water-catching bag-like element when the pad is held up aroundthe face of the user-for softening the beard preparatory'to'shaving and so that the racing panel or water-inn.- pervicus material. will normally standsomewh'at outwardly away-from the oblong section of water; absorbent material when the beard-softenmg pad is hung up to .dry so. that .air will circulate freely through thefiopenings "provided by the detached transverse end margins- 1' I BENJAMIN BECKER,

References Cited in the'file of-this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name f b 1 0 3 ."Gre a --'-'---A 1 4 82,1 3 :.D pyera" u e 1,1 3? FOREIGN PATENTS Number Gounftry" Date 233,722 Great Britain 'July 16,1925 737,907- 1 F n c 93 1 

